300 FEET BELOW MEYRIN, Switzerland — Benton County residents and law enforcement agencies will soon have a better way to track convicted sex offenders.
The county Information Systems Department is upgrading the sheriff ’s office’s database of sex offenders. The new system will allow the public to view information about level 3 and level 4 sex offenders living in Benton County. The information will include photos of the offenders, if available, as well as the addresses of where they are living.
Police departments in Rogers, Bentonville, Gravette, Decatur, Sulphur Springs, Centerton, Lowell, Siloam Springs, Pea Ridge, Gentry and Bella Vista have agreed to Ortman To Speak To Kiwanians This Friday
Lee Ortman, former superintendent of Gravette Schools who most recently guided the Decatur school district through its fiscal challenges, will speak at the Gravette Kiwanis Club Friday at 7 a.m. at the Main Cafe.
provide information for the system.
The updated software also includes the location of day care centers, public parks and schools.
Levels 3 and 4 sex offenders can’t be within 2,000 feet of those locations.
The site is available to the public at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Website, bentoncountysheriff.org/sexoffenders.aspx. The program will automate a process done manually until now. Law enforcement officials will pinpoint sex offenders, then the program will generate postcards to residents living within a certain radius of where an offender lives.
“We’ve used the postcard notification before,” said Ken Farmer, Bella Vista police chief. “It works real well.”
News, Pages 1 on 04/07/2010